Category: Alumni News

Joy spilled out of the packed gallery into the hallway as Caldwell University unveiled the “Mueller Gallery” signage at the Homecoming festivities Saturday, Sept. 24. Alumni, students, faculty, staff and administration were honored and thrilled to be celebrating with Sister Gerardine Mueller, O.P., as the art gallery was named after her.

Caldwell University President Nancy Blattner, Ph.D., OPA, assisted Sister Gerardine with cutting the red ribbon to signal the official opening of the gallery.

Sister Gerardine, the foundress of the university’s Art Department, was grateful and surprised at the large turnout of former students and Homecoming attendees. “It was unexpected that they would respond to the gallery naming as they did. It was just beautiful,” she said.

A sister, a teacher, a mentor, an artist and a professor emerita, Mueller is an iconic presence on Caldwell’s campus and is remembered by her students for the lessons and inspiration she shared with them.

At 96 years old, she has a lifetime of artistic works encompassing different mediums including sculpture, stained glass, illuminated manuscripts, woodcarvings and clay.

Alumna Agnes Dembia ’69 was happy to attend the dedication and “see such a glorious acknowledgment of Sister Gerardine and her many contributions to Caldwell University”. Dembia recalled how when she was in the third or fourth grade she saw a color photo spread of Sister Gerardine’s illuminated manuscripts in The Daily News. “Immediately I knew that I wanted her to be my teacher one day and promised myself that it would happen! In my senior year at Caldwell, I took her class in calligraphy and illumination and loved it. I went on to earn a master’s degree in art education. To this day I still enjoy the practice of calligraphy”.

Alumna Elaine Weiss Yonke ’69 was proud to attend the dedication. “Her art is everywhere you look around the campus, yet she remains so humble. I know she is grateful for this special honor, and it was so good to be there and see her smile. She has always inspired me to do my best, to be open to new ideas and to keep going despite setbacks. She taught me to always be true to myself”.

The new gallery is located in the Student Center and will provide a beautiful space for displaying student works and holding special exhibitions.

Sister Gerardine said the gallery naming was recognition of the work done on behalf of the Sisters of St. Dominic congregation at the university. “The gallery leaves a physical, lasting mark of the sisters’ work—of the sisters’ presence—and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have worked in that area of the university.”

Dr. Maureen Lynch (right) in Haiti with her good friend Dr. Elaine Farrell. The two trained together at Boston Children’s Hospital

Once, when Cambridge, Massachusetts pediatrician Maureen Lynch was on rounds in medical school, her group came upon a patient who had been admitted because she fainted every time she went to the hairdresser. The rather overbearing instructor asked each person in the group, “What is it?” She returned at the end to Lynch, who had diagnosed a colloid cyst of the third ventricle. “How did you know that?” asked the instructor, to which Lynch replied, “I saw it on ‘Marcus Welby.’”

Lynch’s mantra: “It doesn’t matter where you learn something as long as you remember it.” This says a great deal about Lynch: her insatiable interest in diagnosis and absolute disregard of status and image.

When Lynch was 10 years old, her mother contracted Eastern equine encephalitis and lapsed into a coma. Because she and her sister took alternate weeks off from school to care for their mother, Lynch had a great deal of contact with physicians. During that time her self-described “feeling of helplessness” became a desire to practice medicine.

At Caldwell, she was a leading biology student. Her fierce determination, coupled with her intelligence and drive, earned Lynch the distinction of class valedictorian.

The week before her sister’s wedding, just as Lynch was about to enter medical school, her father died of a heart attack, leaving her with the sole responsibility of caring for her invalid mother. Lynch worked as a pharmacological researcher for four years and earned a master’s degree at New York University. She then entered the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, receiving her delayed M.D. in 1975, and completed her internship and residency at Boston Children’s Hospital, earning a fellowship in adolescent medicine. Lynch then joined the Harvard University Group Health Plan, caring for children and serving as the pediatric department’s head for more than 33 years.

Earlier this year, when the plan outsourced pediatrics, Lynch continued as its medical director, and she still works at Children’s Hospital, serving as assistant in gynecology and assistant clinical professor since 1979. In this role she provides clinical care to infant and adolescent girls made vulnerable by developmental and/or physical disabilities.

Asked what has changed the most in her years of pediatric practice, Lynch replies, “The kids are the same; kids are great!” One of the challenges, she says, has been the impact of the internet and parents’ access to a surfeit of information. Many who research online sources think they have diagnosed their child’s problem and/or discovered a solution. Lynch asks them to describe their worst fear and then dispels it with dispatch. She says she views her job as ruling out potential problems so parents can sleep. “Let me worry until it’s time to worry,” is her regular, gently spoken admonition to parents.

Lynch says she has been “blessed with a good education and a wonderful profession.” In her desire to give back, for 14 consecutive years she has traveled to Haiti with a team of doctors working under the umbrella of the Haiti Mission of the United Methodist Church.

In her scarce leisure time she is a “sucker for rom-coms, particularly those from Nora Ephron,” and enjoys spending time in London and on Cape Cod with her husband, Roger Stacey.

“Maureen has a reputation for being quite outspoken, especially about things she really cares about,” he says. “The maddening thing is that she is almost always right.” Her sage advice for Caldwell students: “Try to do the right things and fight for what you believe in.” And in terms of choosing a career: “Know your passion and follow your heart.”

“I know I make a difference,” she says, adding, “As I come to the end of a successful career, I am now in a position to motivate young people. I couldn’t have asked for a better ride in this life.”

NEW HAVEN, Conn.- Caldwell University women’s basketball alum Danielle Ciresi Murphy ’91 was elected into the third class of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Hall of Fame as announced by the conference office today.

The CACC Hall of Fame was established in 2015 to honor the legendary individuals and teams in league history. Members of the hall of fame are voted on by a committee comprised of administrators throughout the CACC. Ciresi Murphy will be honored at an on campus event at a later date during the basketball season.

Ciresi Murphy re-wrote the Caldwell record books during her outstanding career for the Cougars. During her senior season, Murphy broke the existing school scoring record and surpassed 2,000 career points in the same game with her former teammate and record holder in the Student Center seats. She went on to score 2,491 points, which at the time ranked her fourth all-time among college women’s basketball players in New Jersey.

Ciresi Murphy led all New Jersey college players in scoring her junior and senior seasons. As a senior, she was named the CACC co-Most Valuable Player and received All-American honorable mention honors. Her scoring average of 31.7 points per game as a senior led the nation and was fifth all-time in NAIA scoring history.

Alum Joe Catenacci ’06 is host of the radio morning drive show The Big Talker 106.7 in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Communications and Media Studies Professor Bob Mann was the guest of his former student Joe Catenacci ‘06 host of the radio morning drive show The Big Talker 106.7 in Wilmington, North Carolina. As a Memorial Day program, they discussed a previous radio program Mann had hosted from the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.

“It’s been awesome to have him on,” says Catenacci. The conversation may heat up next month when they begin a regular segment on media issues since the two do not regularly look at issues from the same political viewpoints. That is what makes it interesting, says Catenacci. “One of the great things about Professor Mann was and is the fact he always encourages you to have free thought….he welcomed different viewpoints with open arms to build the discussion. For us, the debate and conversation hasn’t ended since I graduated from Caldwell”.

Catenacci, who does play-by-play sports broadcasting for Coastal Carolina University and UNC-Wilmington, says that when the conversation gets too animated or heated, Mann and he can always pivot back to what they both have a passion for, “baseball and the New York Yankees.”

A former Cougars baseball player, Catenacci appreciates the experiences he had at Caldwell. “I was trained with the proper tools through operations and direction as a person who had potential for on-air.” Although he says it is the individual who has to go after the media career, he credits Professor Mann and his communications studies in helping him lay the foundation and set the building blocks for his future.

Caldwell University nursing alumna Courtney Donlan ’16 was interviewed on several news outlets after reportedly saving a woman’s life on an airplane. Donlan is a nurse at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Professor and Director of the Department of Nursing at Caldwell Dr. Theodora Sirota said the nursing faculty and administration could not be more proud Courtney. “She exemplifies the high standards and quality of the education our expert faculty provides our students. It comes as no surprise that Courtney was able to respond swiftly and competently in a mid-flight emergency situation.”

Caldwell, N.J., May 10, 2017– Caldwell University alumna Tanya Freeman, a partner at Weiner Law Group in Parsippany, New Jersey, was honored as Family Lawyer of the Year by the Hudson County Bar Association on April 18 at Liberty House.

Freeman, who has represented professional athletes, television personalities and other high-profile celebrities, fondly remembers her days studying political science at Caldwell. She returned to school as a mother with six children and as a full-time employee at Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. “I really invented myself in my late 30s, and it started at Caldwell. It was so good for my kids to see that Mommy went back.” She still proudly hangs in her office the plaque she received for earning the highest grade point average in the Political Science Department.

Before entering the legal world, Freeman led audit teams for over a decade. She was licensed to practice law in New York and New Jersey in 2012 after graduating cum laude from Touro Law Center. In 2014, Gov. Chris Christie appointed Freeman to the board of directors of University Hospital in Newark, where she chairs the Governance, Ethics and Legal committee. The Thomson Reuters list of New Jersey Super Lawyers named her a “rising star” for two consecutive years. She was also elected to the board of trustees of the Hudson County Bar Association in 2016.

Freeman recalls how she was inspired to start studying at Caldwell. While working for Blue Cross Blue Shield, she was staffing a career fair booth in Caldwell’s cafeteria and decided to look into enrolling. She was 60 credits shy of her undergraduate degree. Soon she was attending classes and was on her way to gaining her bachelor’s degree. “I’m still friends with my Caldwell classmates,” she says.

As a divorce lawyer, she tells her clients her story so they know that that no matter what their age or state in life there is great hope and that they too can take the steps to reinvent themselves.

Credits tuition aid grant program with giving her the stepping stone for her education

“Rewarding” does not begin to describe the feeling Caldwell University alumna Monique Pineros has every day when she heads out the door to work as a physical therapist. “Bringing back a human body to its normal functions with one’s hands is truly an art,” she says.

Pineros remembers her days at Caldwell and how her exposure to the liberal arts and to the diversity of campus life helped prepare her for the dream of entering the medical field. After receiving her doctorate in physical therapy from Quinnipiac University in 2016, she began to practice physical therapy and teach as an adjunct in Caldwell’s Natural and Physical Sciences Department.

“It all would never have been possible without that first stepping-stone, which was Caldwell University, along with the help of TAG,” she says. TAG is a New Jersey need based grant program that helps lower income students achieve their dream of receiving a college education.

“When I stand behind the podium in the classroom or evaluate and treat my patients in the clinic, I am constantly reminded that everyone has the potential to become their very best. The trick lies in becoming the individual’s first pusher in order to tap into it.”

Having been “fortunate enough and blessed to be on that receiving side,” Pineros wants to give back. “I too want to be on the other side to help that individual, whether student or patient.

“Coming from a family with financial hardships, I realized I required all the help necessary in order to make my dreams of a college education a reality. TAG was able to provide me with the financial bridge I needed to fulfill my academic studies at Caldwell University.”

Caldwell exposed her to a liberal arts foundation and to a diverse student body. “As a practicing physical therapist, I am able to clearly see the connections from the classroom theory I was given at Caldwell as well as the wealth of knowledge I gained from the interactions with my former peers to that of my current patient population. Not only was I given the academic foundation to pursue graduate studies but also the foundation to interact with patients in the clinic from all ages and walks of life.”

Having the opportunity to interact one on one with her professors at Caldwell and to create trusting relationships made her comfortable with the exchange of ideas at the professional and personal levels. “This was and is quintessential to my everyday life, in and outside of clinical practice.”

Pineros wants to help others who have talents in the STEM fields to be forward-thinking and passionate. “Marrying my love of physical therapy and clinical practice to that of teaching is what I aspire towards because not only do I want to inspire the generations after me in the classroom, I want to ignite a fire and thirst for never-ending exploration for the sciences, health and our future innovations.”

Caldwell, N.J., March 8, 2017 – Caldwell University will recognize alumni professional excellence at the annual Veritas awards on Friday March 31.

Theaward is the highest honor the college bestows on its alumnae/alumni for their professional excellence in diverse fields. The reception is at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. at Essex Fells Country Club.

Sister M. de Montfort Kinchellagh, O.P. ’68 will receive the Excellence in Social Justice Advocacy award, Elaine Bauer Zabriskie ’73 will receive the Excellence in Quality Technology award, and Carlos Pomares ’93 will receive the Excellence in Cultural Activism award.

Sister M. de Montfort Kinchellagh, O.P. ’68 will receive the Excellence in Social Justice Advocacy award.

Sister de Monfort is a tireless advocate on behalf of issues of peace and justice. She has held several positions including councilor of ministry for the Leadership Council of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell and justice promoter for the Sisters. She was pivotal in establishing the Commission on Global Issues for the Sisters and served as it’s chairperson for over 15 years. Sister de Monfort had a career in education holding a number of positions including teacher, principal, supervisor of schools, and assistant superintendent.

Sister holds a B.A. in English/Elementary Education from Caldwell College and New Jersey Teacher of Elementary Education N-8 and New Jersey Principal certifications. She has an M.A. in Supervision\Administration from Seton Hall University.

Elaine Bauer Zabriskie ’73 has excelled in the field of telecommunications with employment at companies such as AT&T and Verizon. Among her many accomplishments is the design and implementation of a supplier report card program that identified thresholds of performance for customer requirements as well as the management of corrective actions. The program was awarded a U.S. Business Process Patent in November 2012 after a ten-year review process. She is a published author of several professional white papers on supplier performance and on a recognition program for telecommunications suppliers. Zabriskie holds a bachelor of arts in history and social studies from Caldwell College and a master’s of political science and an MBA in management from Montclair University. She is a lifetime certified purchasing manager and a certified software quality engineer.

Carlos M. Pomares ‘93 is executive director of the Cuban Artists Fund, a non- profit dedicated to supporting artists of Cuban ancestry. He has overseen a variety of collaborative educational projects between the Cuban Artists Fund and organizations such as the Times Square Alliance, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. As councilman at-large in Bloomfield, New Jersey, he has successfully spearheaded historic restoration projects, public art installations, and environmental preservation efforts.

Pomares holds a B.A. in History from Caldwell College and received a certificate in Communications. He also holds an M.A. in Museum Professions from Seton Hall University.

Tickets are $95.00. RSVP by March 15. For further information, contact Alumni Director Meghan Moran at 973-618-3411 or mmoran@Caldwell.edu

Alumnus Nick Bushey performed with the young adult honor’s choir at Carnegie Hall.

Caldwell, N.J., Feb. 23, 2017 – Caldwell University Music Department alumnus Nick Bushey was selected to perform at the Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 5. He was chosen from a competitive group of international and national applicants to be a part of the Young Adult Honor’s Choir conducted by Jeffery Redding.

Participants had to apply and send in audition recordings in October. Bushey, of Wayne, N.J. was thrilled to meet and perform alongside the other choir members, who he said, “shared their unique stories about where they came from and why they loved to sing”.

The musicians received their music in advance of the performance and were expected to report three days prior with all selections memorized. The performance included works ranging from Haydn (“Awake the Harp” from Creation) to Kim Andre Arneson’s “Even When He is Silent” and “Flight Song.”

After a few days of rehearsals together, all 80 of the choir members were eager to perform on the prestigious stage. “The excitement was contagious. We all fed off of each other’s energy,” Bushey said. “It was truly a life changing experience”.

The Honors Ensemble is open to select college-aged and young adult vocalists. The musicians had the opportunity to rehearse with Redding, an accomplished conductor and former music faculty member at West Virginia University.

Bushey is grateful to all his music professors, his voice teacher Dr. Greenwald, and his family and friends. He is pursuing a career in music education and hopes to motivate and inspire students through music.

Dr. Greenwald said she is proud of Bushey for being accepted into such a prestigious ensemble and was thrilled to see and hear him perform on the stage of Carnegie Hall.

CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University men’s basketball standout Matthew Stuart ’94 was officially inducted into the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Hall of Fame in a special ceremony during Saturday’s basketball doubleheader as part of “Super Saturday” festivities. Stuart is the first Caldwell representative in the newly created CACC Hall of Fame and is the first CACC men’s basketball player inducted into the conference hall of fame.

Caldwell Athletics welcomed over 100 former student-athletes and their families back to campus this past Saturday. In addition, each athletic team and several departments on campus contributed a basket of items that were part of the silent auction with the proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The event was a success as Caldwell Athletics raised over $1,000 from the auction items. Make-A-Wish is the official charitable organization of the NCAA.

“We are so proud of Matt and what he has meant to our institution,” said Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Mark A. Corino, “He was a main reason for the early success of the men’s basketball program and we were pleased to have him and his family back to campus to celebrate his induction into the CACC Hall of Fame. The CACC has a long history of outstanding student-athletes and his induction as the first men’s basketball inductee into the hall of fame is an indication of what he has meant to the school and how people recognize his outstanding achievements on the court.”

Between the men’s and women’s contests, Caldwell University President Dr. Nancy Blattner welcomed Stuart and his family to campus and spoke of how exciting it was to have such a large group of alumni present to celebrate a great day for the university. CACC Commissioner Dan Mara followed and read off Stuart’s amazing accomplishments during his playing career. He also stated that great Caldwell men’s basketball players — both current and future — will always be judged by the incredible exploits of Stuart, who starred for the Cougars in the early 90s.

Mara officially inducted Stuart into the conference hall of fame, as he presented him with a framed portrait featuring photos of Stuart from his playing days. Finally, Stuart spoke to the crowd, thanking his former head coach Mark A. Corino, who not only coaches the men’s program, but is also Caldwell’s Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics. Stuart added how special it was to help build the program and the friendships he made. Stuart asked his family to join him at center court to take part in the ceremony, and they did with photos being taken afterwards.

When Stuart came to Caldwell from Haddon Heights, N.J., in the fall of 1989, the men’s basketball program was beginning its third season of existence. By the time he finished his career in 1994, Stuart had twice earned All-American honors, led the Cougars to their first CACC Tournament championship and helped the team qualify for its first national tournament.

A 6-foot-11 center, Stuart was named the CACC Player of the Year in both 1993 and 1994 while earning NAIA All-American Second Team honors as a junior and First Team as a senior. He did this following a serious knee injury that forced him to miss all but five games during the 1990-91 season. In 110 career games for the Cougars, Stuart scored a school-record 1,888 points. He is second all-time in blocks with 156 and fifth in rebounds with 843 in his career.